Island



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. TAYLOR.

LIFE-BOAT.

No. 481,602; Patented Aug. 30, 1892.

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0 AB T H HL m d 0 M o W will Patented Aug. 30, 1892;

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM H. TAYLOR, OF NARRAGANSETT PIER, RHODE ISLAND.

LIFE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,602, dated August 30, 1892. Application filed January 25, 1892- Serial No. 419,228. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Narragansett Pier, in the district of Narragansett, in the county of WVashington, in the State of Rhode Island, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part thereof.

This invention relates to that class of boats called life-boats, and is intended more es pecially in its construction and arrangements for storing provisions and water to be carried on shipboard to be used in case a vessel has to be abandoned at sea. It is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a top view of the boat, showing the lines of the boats sides and plan of the center-board box and thwarts. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the boat, taken between the center-board box and the tanks. Fig. 3 shows the under side of the boat. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the boat. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken lengthwise of the center-board box with the center-board in elevation. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical crosssection of the upperpart of center-board box, taken through the valves and showing the chain and pulleys for raising the center-board. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of the lower part of the center-board box and center-board.

The hull of the boat is built on the top and side lines, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,"with a bottom having a curved form rounding up lengthwise of the boat toward the stem and stern, and also laterally to the sides, to give great strength to that part of the boat, &c., as hereinafter will appear. It is divided the entire length into two parts by the keel and center-board box, the former of which extends from the bottom of the boat up to the second bottom or floor, and the center-board box extending still higher. By this division the boat under the floor is converted into two watertight compartments. A center-board box 0 occupies about one-third of the length of the boat in its center. It is braced on each side by knee-shaped castings a a, that are securely bolted to the under side of the floor B and to the sides of the box, (see Fig. 6,) and it is also secured in like manner to the bottom of the boat. (See Fig. 4C.) The sides of the centerboard box have openings made in it just above the floor B, which openings are provided with valves on their inner ends opening in toward the inside of the box. (See Fig. 6.) These openings are to allow the water taken in on the floor B to pass into the inside of the box 0 and not return. The curve of the floor, as before stated, being from the center up toward the sides and ends of the boat causes the Water to run toward the box from allsides. The floorB is made of wood, covered with thick canvas and heavily painted to make it watertight. The whole space between the bottom of the boat and the floor B is occupied by airtight metallic tanks 01 and s, a suitable number of which 3 s are used to hold provisions and water, and the others d are filled with air for buoyancy to the boat in case the bottom or sides are stove in. The tanks .9 sand d, intended to hold provisions, air, and water, are made separate from the sides of the boat and have openings 0 made in their tops, provided with caps screwing down on or into collars soldered on the tops of the tanks.

The center-board D is made of galvanized sheet-iron and is held up in position by two chains t, attached to the upper edge of the board and carried up over grooved pulleys n n, held on pivots 12, passing through the sides of the center-board box laterally after passing overthepulleysnn,thechainsbeingconnected to a rod m, which extends out through the end of the box to allow the board to be raised or lowered thereby, as may be desired. The center-board is divided into several sections, as shown in Fig. 5, by openings extending from near the lower edge up to near the top edge. These openings are for the purpose of allowing iron stay rods or blocks to be put across between the two sides of the centerboard box, as shown in Fig. 3, to stiffen the boat, and in this way the center-board, being made of thin galvanized sheet-iron or any suitable metallic material and being raised and lowered vertically and horizontally, as before shown, may be extended nearly the entire length of the keel of the boat and not weaken it.

A proper number of thwarts ff, which will vary with the size of the boat, are firmly secured at each end to the sides of the boat, and each end thwart is provided with a clasp a", with bolts by means of which a mast may be held to use a sail. As the boat is of the same shape at both ends, it can be sailed in either direction, or if one clasp is disabled the other one can be used.

Having thus described my improved lifeboat, I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- I 1. In a life-boat having a second water-tight floor, as described, a center-board box extending up from the bottom of the boat through said floor, forming two water-tight compartments between the bottom of the boat and the second floor, said center-board box having valves in its sides level with the top of the second floor and opening inward into the box, in combination with removable air-tight tanks for provisions and water, fitted into said two 20 ing its entire length, connecting its two sides 2 5 together for strength, in combination with a center-board having slots made through it corresponding with said stays, substantially as described WILLIAM H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

JOHN G. PERRY, JOHN E. PERRY. 

